Il Corpo, li Commuta
by wolf with panther eyes
Summary: When Merlin reads out a sentence from a piece of parchment Gaius is studying, he has no idea that it is actually a spell - a spell which, to Morgana, Arthur, Gwen and Merlin's horror, causes them all to switch bodies! NOW COMPLETED!
1. Chapter 1

I can't believe I actually wrote this - where am I going to find the time to write and add on more, what with all my other fanfics needing chapters? But sometimes, a story grips me and I have to write - so this is the result.

I've written body-switch stories before, so I've tried to make this one start slightly differently. I hope you enjoy reading this - if you do, a review is always welcome!

I don't own Merlin, or the BBC... but I wish I did.

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"This is all your fault, Merlin!" Gwen said angrily, tugging at her hair. "I mean, look at me!"

"I didn't do anything!" Morgana responded, also feeling her hair. "This is so weird..." she muttered.

Arthur crossed his arms, staring at her with a steely glint in his eyes. "Don't get any ideas, now."

"What kind of pervert do you think I am?" Morgana snapped, instantly dropping her arms to her sides. "If anyone has to be watched, it's Arthur."

Gwen glanced up. "What? There's no way I'm going to..." she shuddered, staring down at herself. Suddenly, her gaze snapped up and she clicked her fingers. "Merlin, I'm ordering you to fix this."

"How would he know what to do?" Merlin interrupted in a soft tone, shifting from one leg to another. "It's not like he did this."

"Gwen's right," Arthur agreed, walking over to Morgana and putting his arm around her shoulders. "I don't think Merlin had anything to do with this." She looked Morgana up and down. "Hey, that dress does look good on me."

Colour tinged Morgana's cheeks as she slipped out under Arthur's arm.

"Aw, Merlin's blushing," Gwen mocked. She grinned. "Actually, it's Morgana blushing, so it's the best of both."

"I would so like to hit you, but I'm not planning on injuring Gwen anytime soon," Morgana replied, her hands clenching into fists.

Gwen took a step forward. "Oh, so you won't hit me now that I'm a girl?"

"Stop it!" Merlin cried, wringing his hands. "We're all in this together; there's no point in fighting."

Arthur nodded, his eyes thoughtful. "So, can anyone think of how this may have happened?"

"I just remember..." Merlin shrugged. "I just suddenly felt all dizzy."

"Same," Gwen agreed. "Like I was going to faint."

Morgana opened her mouth, ready to make a sarcastic remark, then closed it again. Instead, she nodded. "Me too."

Arthur sighed. "Well, if that's all we can remember, I have no idea how we can fix this."

"So, we're stuck like this forever?" Merlin asked, his face pale.

"Hold on!" Gwen held her hands out in front of her. "I can't be stuck as a serving girl. It's just... so, so wrong, in so many different ways."

"Well, it might not be that bad for me," Arthur added, glancing down at himself. "I've always wondered what it would be like to duel."

Gwen sat down heavily on a wooden chair, burying her face in her hands. "I'm ruined," she muttered.

Merlin pulled up a chair beside her and hesitantly touched her back, trying to provide some comfort.

Morgana glanced down at herself for the umpth time before focusing on the others. She shifted through memories, trying to remember once more what had happened...

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Merlin lay on his bed, absentmindedly flicking through the thick spellbook Gaius had given him and trying out occasional spells.

"Alcune cose aren' la t ha spiegaty," he whispered, waving a hand in front of himself and watching in delight as his clothes flew up into the air, neatly folding themselves before descending into his cupboard.

A loud knock interrupted him. Hurridly, he closed the thick book and placed it in the broken floorboard beside his bed. Practise had made him swift in keeping his secret.

Merlin strode through the room and opened the door. His face broke into a smile as he saw who it was. "Oh, hi Gwen, Morgana."

"Hi, Merlin," Gwen replied a little shyly, smiling back.

"Is Gaius in?" Morgana asked, stepping into the room.

"There's someone sick in the village; he's gone down to discover the illness," Merlin reported. "We don't want it spreading."

Morgana's eyes met his, and he knew that she too was remembering when the water had become tainted. Luckily, Gaius idn't seem to think that magic had anything to do with this illness.

"Well, can I wait?" Without waiting for an answer, Morgana promptly sat down on a nearby chair.

Merlin shrugged. "Sure." He turned back to Gwen, opening the door and waving her through with a playful bow. "Would you also like to wait?"

"Thanks, Merlin." Gwen sat down next to Morgana, still smiling.

Merlin closed the door, turning around to face his visitors. "So, what's wrong?"

Morgana twiddled a strand of hair through her fingers. "I haven't been sleeping well," she confessed. "I thought perhaps that Gaius might have some kind of sleeping potion - the non-magical kind, of course."

"I'm sure he does," Merlin responded, just as another knock made itself heard. Sighing, Merlin took a step towards the door, but as he did it opened.

"Ah, there you are," Arthur said, striding into the room. "I was wondering where you'd gotten to. There's a banquet tonight, remember?"

Merlin nodded his head. "Yes, Arthur."

Arthur suddenly became aware of the two other people in the room. "Merlin, I didn't know you had company."

Merlin opened his mouth to reply, but Morgana beat him to it. "I came to ask Gaius for a sleeping potion," she said haughtily, folding her arms. "I asked Gwen to accompany me."

Arthur gave a slight nod before turning back to Merlin. "Gaius won't be too long, will he?"

"I don't think so."

"Well, then." Arthur clapped his hand against Merlin's back. "As soon as he gets back, you can come and attend to me."

"Great," Merlin muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Merlin, what's this?" Morgana's voice said. Merlin turned around and saw her staring at a piece of paper of Gaius's desk.

"Oh, that." Merlin walked over beside her. "It's just some old parchment that Gaius is trying to translate. Apparently it's some type of sciencey-thing."

"Really?" Morgana sounded interested.

"Oh yeah." Merlin stared down at the words. A small sentence caught his eye. "Il corpo, li commuta," he read aloud. "Probably means nothing."

Instantly, blackness clouded his vision. Arthur, Morgana and Gwen let out identical cries, like they too were overcome by the dark. Merlin's hands went to his eyes instinctively, trying to clear some vision, but his limbs suddenly felt tired... so, so tired...

It was then that sleep claimed him.

And when he woke, everything would be changed.

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So, have you figured out what's happened? And who's who? I think I made it pretty easy to guess.

Oh, and the second half is a flashback. Just in case you didn't know.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to everyone who reviwed the last chapter! Just to clear things up:

Merlin is in Morgana's body

Morgana is in Arthur's body

Arthur is in Gwen's body

Gwen is in Merlin's body

For most of this chapter, I will call them by the person in their body - for example, Arthur would be Arthur in Gwen's body.

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Realisation dawned on Morgana then - because, although she looked just like Morgana, and sounded just like Morgana, the spirit inside of her was Merlin's.

"I think I know what happened."

The real Morgana, who now inhabited Arthur's body, glanced across at him. "Really?"

"I think I know what happened," Merlin repeated, Morgana's voice spilling out of his mouth.

Both Arthur (in Gwen's body) and Gwen (in Merlin's body) looked up.

"So?" Arthur prompted, somehow managing to make Gwen's soft voice into his usual commanding tone. "What was it?"

"It was that parchment," Merlin explained, starting to walk over to Gaius's desk. He stumbled, tripping over the hem of Morgana's dress.

Ignoring the laughter behind him, Merlin straightened himself up and brushed down the front dress, trying to imitate Morgana's dignified manner.

"Hey!" Arthur's voice said sharply. "No touching allowed."

Merlin sighed, dropping his hands to his sides and crossing to the desk. He cast a fleeting look over its contents, certain that the parchment would be resting on top.

"Merlin?" Gwen asked in Merlin's voice as she noticed that he'd frozen. "Merlin, what's wrong?"

"It's got to be here," Merlin muttered, Morgana's eyes flickering over the desk. "It has to be here!"

"What are you on about, Merlin?" It was almost scary how much Gwen's voice sounded like Arthur's.

Morgana, however, caught on quickly. "That paper we were looking at?" she said in disbelief. "Did that cause this?"

"I think so," Merlin answered, suddenly springing into action by tearing through the contents of the desk, trying desperately to find the document.

"So - you did magic." It wasn't a question.

"But magic's forbidden!" Gwen cried, at the exact time Arthur said triumphantly in her voice "I was right, then - this is all Merlin's fault."

Merlin clenched Morgana's teeth, and took a step back, shaking his head. "It's not there."

Arthur jumped up and rushed over. Merlin noted with some annoyance that he didn't seem to have any problem with Gwen's dress. "It has to be!"

"Cheer up, Arthur," Morgana said without a trace of sympathy in Arthur's voice. "Think how much you'll learn from this! Who knows, you may even come out of this a changed person."

"I already _am_ a changed person!" Arthur said pointedly, gesturing at the body he was in.

Merlin grinned. "He has a point."

Gwen suddenly turned towards the door, Merlin's face turning pale. "Someone's coming."

"Oh, great," Merlin murmured. "Gaius must be back. He is so going to kill me when he realises that parchment is gone."

The door clicked open, and, sure enough, it was Gaius who entered. He stopped, noticing the four young adults in the room.

Morgana recovered first. "And that, Merlin," she began, clapping Gwen's back with her face deadly serious. "Is how I slayed the great grasshopper of doom."

Merlin bit Morgana's lip, willing himself not to laugh at the surprised fury that had suddenly appeared on Gwen's face.

Gaius chuckled, visibly relaxed. "I would have thought you four would be preparing for the feast tonight, not trading battle stories."

Merlin, Morgana, Arthur and Gwen exchanged a startled glance, showing that they'd all completely forgotten what was happening that night.

Once again, Morgana recovered quickest. "Ah, yes," she nodded before turning to Gwen. "Come, Merlin, you must help me prepare."

Gwen stood still for a moment, then suddenly remembered that, to the outside eye, she was Merlin. "Oh, me!" she exclaimed before she could stop herself. "I mean… yes, Arthur."

The real Arthur turned away, rolling Gwen's eyes. "Honestly," he muttered under his breath so that only Merlin could hear.

Merlin wanted to leap at Gwen's defence then, until he suddenly realised that Morgana was starring at him expectantly. Oh, right.

"I must also get ready," he said, trying to imitate Morgana's usual haughty tone. "Gwen?"

The four of them headed out of the room, silently making their way to the corridor that joined Arthur and Morgana's rooms.

"Okay," Morgana broke the silence as they stopped just outside Arthur's dressing room door. "What are we going to do?"

Merlin rubbed his head, trying to think. "I don't think we'll have time to reverse the spell before the feast."

Arthur sulkily crossed his arms. "What, so we're just going to pretend we're each other?"

"That's what I was thinking," Morgana grinned. "So - Merlin, Gwen can help you get dressed."

Merlin shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "What, so Arthur's going to help you?"

Morgana's gaze shifted to Arthur. "He may as well."

"Would this be okay for me?" Gwen asked anxiously, waving a hand down at the clothes Merlin was wearing.

"And this for me?" Arthur added, tugging at the sleeve of Gwen's dress.

"I think it'll be fine." Morgana turned to Merlin. "No peeking, okay?"

Merlin stared at her, horrified. "Me? No way!"

"Hmm…" Morgana bent over and whispered something in Gwen's ear. Gwen nodded, and Morgana straightened up. "Right then. See you both."

With that, she strode into Arthur's dressing room. Moodily, Arthur followed her, shutting the door behind him.

"Well, then." Gwen glanced at Merlin. "We should get started, right?"

"Right," Merlin agreed, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach as they entered Morgana's dressing room.

"Now…" Gwen opened a cupboard door and began searching through the various garments. She pulled on out and held it up. "This?"

The dress was deep maroon, the neckline dropping further then Merlin thought was necessary. He stared at it in horror. "Not in a million years."

Gwen gave a small grin. "Sorry, I forgot that you weren't Morgana." She replaced the dress, continuing her search while Merlin hoped that dress would never see the light of day again - at least while he was in Morgana's body.

It took several more tries until Merlin and Gwen finally agreed on a reasonably modest outfit of clothing for Merlin to wear.

"Okay, now that's done…" Gwen slipped off the cloth that Merlin usually wore around his neck. "Come here."

Merlin took a step back. "What are you doing?"

A smile appeared on Merlin's usual face. "I promised Morgana that you'd wear a blindfold."

Merlin sighed. Why was Morgana so convinced that he wouldn't respect her body? Of course, Morgana was confident enough to keep him in line, while Gwen was nice enough to let Arthur do what he wanted. "I guess that's fair." He paced a few steps forward, allowing Gwen to tie it around his eyes.

"Can you see anything?" Gwen asked once she'd finished.

Merlin opened Morgana's eyes and stared at the dark underside of the necktie. A few grains of light showed through, but that was all. "No."

Gwen gently grabbed onto his arms and steered him in the direction of the dressing screen, where Morgana usually changed. "Well, Merlin, time to get you changed."

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Morgana held up the tunic at arms' length, Arthur's face screwed up in disgust. "You can't be serious! This smells like it hasn't been washed for years."

Arthur shrugged, Gwen's face neutral. "So?"

"So I'm not wearing it." Morgana tossed it into the corner of the room and placed her hands on her hips. Arthur winced.

"What?" Morgana asked impatiently.

"Don't do that," he replied. "It makes me look so… girly."

Morgana sighed, running one hand through Arthur's hair. It felt so… weird. Not to mention short. She kept the other hand on her hip to annoy Arthur, grinning to herself when she noticed the expression on Gwen's face.

Morgana gazed at her reflection in the window. She'd taken off Arthur's shirt before realising that most of the clothes Arthur owned hadn't been cleaned in a while, and she couldn't help noting that Arthur actually looked quite manly without his shirt on.

Morgana snapped out of her daze. Did she really just think that? She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

"What are you doing?" Gwen's voice asked curiously.

Morgana moved to the heap of clothes that she hadn't examined yet. "Finding you an outfit."

Arthur reclined in his chair. "Don't let me stop you."

The last few items in the pile were finally deemed acceptable by Morgana's standards. She pulled the reddish-brown tunic over her head before slipping on Arthur's bright red jerkin. "How about this?" she asked, turning to face him.

Arthur shrugged. "It'll do."

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Hope you enjoyed it - if you did (or indeed didn't), reviews of any kind are loved!


	3. Chapter 3

Big thanks to Dementedviper and Lozrii for helping me get over writers' block, and especially to Lozrii for giving me some ideas for this chapter.

I hope you like this chapter - please enjoy!

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"I knew it took a long time for Morgana to get ready. I just didn't know that it took _this _long."

Gwen smiled to herself; Merlin was obviously typical of most men. _Men can be so innocent to the hassle us women go through to look nice, _Gwen thought to herself. Of course, she was a physically a man now, but her mind was still feminine. "I've almost finished."

Merlin sighed heavily, gazing at the reflection in the mirror. "That looks so weird," he pointed out. "Me doing Morgana's hair."

Gwen glanced at the mirror as well, giving an involuntary start when it was Merlin's reflection that copied her movements. She'd only been Merlin for about an hour, and she still felt a jolt of surprise whenever she caught a glimpse of the body she was in, or heard Merlin's voice coming out of her mouth when she spoke.

"Merlin," she asked hesitantly, continuing to plait Morgana's dark hair. "You will be able to find the spell to undo us, right?"

"He better," Gwen's actual voice said behind her. Gwen twirled around and came face-to-face with her body.

"Hi, Arthur," Merlin greeted breezily, finally getting close to imitating Morgana's tones. "Is Morgana all done, then?"

"She should have been finished ages ago!" Arthur complained, leaning against the wall. "She just keeps doing my hair over and over again…" He paused. "Nice dress, by the way."

For the second time that day, Morgana's cheeks flushed slightly. "How can you walk in these things, Arthur?" he asked irritably. "You seem to cope fine."

Gwen watched as her own body wavered, then Arthur replied "I won't go into that, if you don't mind."

"There, all done," Gwen interrupted, placing the hairbrush onto the table. "What do you think?"

Merlin sat up a little straighter and tilted Morgana's head at a few different angles. "Looks good."

"I'm pleased to hear that." Morgana strolled into the room, Arthur's head held high and her arms swinging freely. She glanced down at Merlin's hair - well, technically Morgana's own hair, Gwen reminded herself.

Morgana flashed a grin at her. "Thanks for helping, Gwen."

"Happy to be of service," Gwen replied formally, dropping into a half-curtsey.

Arthur snickered slightly - it sounded odd coming out of Gwen's own mouth.

"Err, Gwen…" Merlin stood up hesitantly, tugging at Morgana's dress slightly. "You can't curtsey anymore. It just looks… weird."

"Oh." Gwen glanced down at herself - okay, it would look unusual to see Merlin curtseying.

"Does that mean me too?" Morgana asked, Arthur's eyes shining.

"Yes." Arthur interjected, suddenly serious.

Morgana frowned. "Arthur, you're no fun."

Merlin sighed. "We better get going," he remarked. "And let's just try and remember who we're meant to be."

"We should call each other by our body's names," Morgana suggested, her fingers brushing away a crease in Arthur's jerkin. "To make it less suspicious."

Merlin nodded. "Good idea, _Arthur_."

"I'm glad that you think so, _Morgana_."

"Gwen, Gwen," Arthur started muttering under his breath as the four of them made their way out of the room. "My name is Gwen. Gwen, Guinevere, Gwen."

Merlin caught the eye of the real Gwen and shot her a grin before turning to Arthur. "Hey, Arthur."

Arthur glanced up. "What is it?" he snapped at the exact same Morgana replied "Yes, Morgana?"

"Just testing," Merlin replied, smiling innocently.

Arthur cast Gwen's eyes on the floor, his lips moving soundlessly while Gwen's hands clenched into fists.

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"Okay, remember to act like the person you look like."

Merlin sighed, exasperated. "We know."

"So, I'm Arthur, you're me, Arthur's Gwen, Gwen's Merlin…"

"We've already been over this," Arthur interrupted, Gwen's voice sounding irritable. "We go in. Act as each other. Leave, go to sleep. Wake up, find way to switch back. Easy."

Morgana frowned disapprovingly at him. "You're not exactly acting very Gwen-like."

Arthur scowled back. "I barely know Gwen! No offence," he added quickly to Merlin's body, which Gwen was inhabiting.

Gwen's small smile appeared on Merlin's face. "None taken."

"Can we just go in and get it over and done with?" Merlin asked anxiously, adjusting Morgana's dress a few more times. For once, Morgana didn't tell him off - the fact that Merlin had willingly worn the blindfold must have increased her trust in him.

"I still think we should pretend to be ill," Arthur mentioned yet again. "Avoid the feast all together."

Morgana opened her mouth to reply, and Merlin felt a flash of annoyance pass through him. "Well, you lot can stay here and argue," he decided, taking a few steps forward. "I'm going."

And with that, he pulled up the hem of Morgana's dress and strolled into the hall.

And instantly began to understand why Morgana hated these feasts.

All those people staring at him were starting to creep him out - especially the lustful look which appeared in the eyes of more than one man as Merlin walked by. Luckily, Morgana was the king's ward, and none of those men would have dared to approach her. Lucky for Merlin, at least.

"Hey," a quiet voice said behind him. Merlin turned his head, and came face-to-face with himself - or at least, his usual self.

"Gwe - Merlin," Merlin suddenly recalled whose body he was in. "So you decided to come."

Gwen smiled again. "I think you were right," she said quietly. Her blue eyes flickered from side to side, checking that no-one had heard them. "Let's get this over and done with."

Merlin gave a tiny nod. "So, Merlin," he raised Morgana's voice, speaking normally. "How have your science lessons been coming on?"

"Err, good," Gwen responded, trying to imitate Merlin's chirpy tone. "Yes, ummm… Gaius is a good teacher."

"Indeed," Merlin agreed with some feeling, just as Uther's voice rang throughout the hall.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the King of Camelot announced to the room. "You may take your seats now."

Merlin grinned at Gwen before moving over to the nearest table to sit in his usual seat besides Gaius.

Gaius turned, surprised, as Merlin sat down beside him. "Morgana, what are you doing?"

Merlin half-twisted his head, expecting to see Morgana behind him. Then it hit him. _He_ was Morgana. And Morgana always sat beside the king, never besides the court physician.

"Sorry, Gaius," he apologised, standing up. "Must have been out in the sun too long today."

Gaius looked puzzled. "It was raining today."

Merlin paused, mentally kicking himself. "It was?" He desperately glanced around the hall, hoping that no-one was watching the exchange between him and Gaius. They weren't - they were busy watching Uther as he scolded the servant girl who'd tried to sit in Arthur's chair.

"That seat is reserved for Arthur, and Arthur alone," Uther reprimanded, his eyes narrowed and angry as he towered over the maidservant. "Is that clear?"

Arthur - or, Morgana in Arthur - placed one hand on Uther's shoulder. "Don't worry him…err, her," Morgana commanded in Arthur's voice. "He - she hasn't done any harm."

"Hmmm." Uther continued to stare at the servant. "You're Lady Morgana's maidservant, am I right?"

Behind Uther's back, Morgana-as-Arthur nodded encouragingly. Merlin sighed, and began to walk over to them. He had a feeling that Morgana's presence might be needed soon.

"Yes," the real Arthur finally spoke in Gwen's voice. He stood up, tugging uncomfortably at Gwen's dress. "I'm very, very sorry, sir."

"So you should be."

"Your highness," Merlin interjected, stopping beside Arthur-in-Gwen. "Guinevere had a touch of sunstroke today; she is not in her right mind."

"Really?" Uther responded enquiringly. "But it was raining today."

"I mean yesterday," Merlin quickly corrected himself before continuing. "I believe she has every right to be excused." He waited, hoping that Uther would agree.

Uther sat back in his chair. "Very well, Morgana. But if it happens again, a day in the stocks will do her no harm."

The real Morgana mouthed something to Merlin, gesturing slightly. Merlin sighed as he realised what he had to do.

Silently convinced that he was making Morgana look like a fool, Merlin dropped into a curtsey. "Many thanks, my lord."

Uther nodded, then turned to Arthur-in-Gwen and waited expectantly.

Merlin gave a small smile and pulled at the elbow of Gwen's dress. Arthur glanced at him irritably, then did a sort of half-curtsey. "Yes, thank you."

"You are excused," Uther dismissed his own son unknowingly. _Ah, the irony_, Merlin mused as he sat down in Morgana's usual seat, watching carefully as Arthur-in-Gwen sat down in Gwen's usual chair. Merlin glanced across at the other side of the hall, noticing that Gwen-in-his-body was seated beside Gaius. Merlin's old face was paler than usual… Gwen was probably worried that Arthur would get her thrown in the stocks.

"Now that little interruption is over," Uther continued, raising his goblet. "Our feast may begin."

_Yippee, _Merlin thought sarcastically. Maybe Arthur had been right, and they should have pretended to be ill. He shot a glance at the real Morgana, seating in Arthur's chair. She caught his eye at the same time, and winked.

"Arthur," Uther began, turning to who he thought was his son. "You are to be in charge of training tomorrow, as usual."

Morgana-as-Arthur nodded, looking slightly puzzled. "Battle training, right?" she replied, unable to keep a glimmer of interest out of Arthur's voice.

Merlin suddenly recalled how, soon after they'd switched bodies, Morgana had mentioned wanting to fight. Well, she'd get her wish now.

The young warlock stared down at his plate, lost in thought. Where could that parchment have gone? He needed to figure it out fast.

Because Merlin really, really didn't want to be Morgana for the rest of his life.


	4. Chapter 4

I was going to add this to the end of chap 3, but I just kept adding more to it until it was a chapter in its own rights. Arthur, Merlin and Morgana are a bit OOC... but it should be fine.

A big thank you to everyone who has been reviewing this story so far - and congrats to those who've figured out who's who!

Oh, and the last part is inspirired by the song 'Beer is Good'. Go listen to it. It's probably the weirdest song in existence.

Enjoy!

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"Merlin?"

"Yeah?"

"You awake?"

"No, I'm only sleep talking."

Arthur sighed, rolling onto his back to stare at the ceiling. "Merlin, must you be so sarcastic all the time?"

"Okay, that's just plain scary." Out of the corner of Arthur's eye, he saw Merlin in Morgana's body prop himself - or was it herself? - up on one elbow.

"I mean, how do you make Gwen's voice sound like that?" Merlin continued in Morgana's voice, brushing back a strand of dark hair. "It sounds just like your normal one."

Arthur sighed, continuing to focus on the ceiling. "When you've spent most of your life trying to get that tone right, it comes fairly easily." Gwen's voice lost its commanding accent as Arthur spoke.

Merlin nodded; as he did, Morgana's hair fell back over his face. He brushed it away once more.

Earlier in the day, before the switch, Morgana had arranged for a bed to be made up in her room for Gwen. This often happened when there was a risk of Gwen staying late, and usually being too tired to walk home. In the past, Arthur had laughed at Morgana for letting Gwen share her chamber. Tonight, he was grateful for it. Arthur didn't want to spend the night in the village, let alone have to pretend to Gwen's father that he was Gwen.

"So," Arthur asked, trying to make conversation. "How was the feast for you?" He'd left early, still irritated that he hadn't been able to sit in his usual chair, not to mention the fact that his father didn't recognise him. Merlin had left about ten minutes later. According to Merlin, Morgana and Gwen had still been in the hall.

"I spent most of it trying to stop Morgana's sleeves getting in the soup," Merlin replied, a half-smile on his face. "Honestly, why wear a dress if it's not practical for the occasion?"

"Well, at least Gwen's dress had short sleeves." Arthur rolled onto his side so he could talk face-to-face with Merlin. "I'm going to remain eternally thankful to Gwen because of that."

"Dresses, huh?" Merlin grinned. "Who needs them? In the future, women as well as men will probably wear trousers."

Arthur rolled Gwen's eyes. "Oh, and I suppose women will also become knights?" he replied sarcastically.

Merlin shrugged. "Maybe. If other women were as pleased about battle training as Morgana, then it's possible."

Arthur sat bolt upright. "Battle training?!" he yelped. "I forgot, it's tomorrow!"

Surprised, Merlin sat up too. "I wouldn't worry about it," he said quickly. "Morgana will be great at it, I'm sure."

Arthur placed Gwen's head in his hands. "I'm doomed," he groaned, Gwen's hair fluttering around his shoulders.

"I think you're being a bit melodramatic," Merlin tried to comfort him. "Morgana's seen you fight. She'll know what to do."

"Yeah, right."

The two fell silent; Arthur curled into a ball as he dreaded Morgana's attempt at battle-training while Merlin-in-Morgana's eyes boring into him.

"Hey, Arthur - I don't remember Gwen wearing a nightgown," Merlin finally said, Morgana's eyes narrowed.

Arthur glanced down at himself. Soon after he'd walked into the room, he'd found a spare nightgown and decided to swap it for Gwen's dress.

"I got changed."

"See?" Merlin exclaimed, half in triumph, half in annoyance. "Ever since the switch, Morgana's been nagging me about her body, and what do you do? Check out Gwen's at the first opportunity!"

Gwen's cheeks darkened. "If you must know, my eyes were shut the whole time."

Merlin raised Morgana's eyebrow. "And you expect me to believe that?" He gestured at the body he was in. "Look, I'm sleeping in Morgana's dress. I'm not taking it off. I'm respecting her body, just like I want Gwen to respect mine."

"I'm respecting Gwen's body!" Arthur shot back. "Besides, I didn't fully change. I…" He averted his eyes. "I left Gwen's undergarments on, okay? They're uncomfortable, but I didn't want to…" Gwen's voice trailed off.

Merlin stared at Arthur, a mixture of shock, horror and disbelief on Morgana's face. "Arthur? Please. Don't go into detail."

His cheeks still burning, Arthur nodded slightly.

"Well, other than that…" Merlin lay back down on Morgana's bed, tugging the covers up. "There is one good thing about this."

"How can you find something good in this?" Arthur demanded. "I'm stuck in the body of a serving girl, Morgana's in my body, you're in Morgana's, Gwen's in yours… and did I mention I was in Gwen's? What good thing is there?"

Merlin gazed up at the ceiling, wincing. Quietly, he said "Well, at least we won't have to bother about shaving in the morning."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Morgana staggered against the doorframe, giggling. "Boy, who knew that ale was so good in large doses?"

Gwen gently grasped Morgana's shoulders. Merlin's body, Gwen had quickly realised, was stronger than it looked, and she had little difficulty pulling Morgana-in-Arthur upright.

"Hey, Merlin!" Morgana grinned like a maniac. "Whatcha doing here?" Before Gwen-in-Merlin could reply, Morgana glanced down at herself. "Cool. I'm Arthur. But I'm also Morgana. So who am I?"

"Time for sleep," Gwen said firmly, holding onto Morgana's shoulders and steering her towards the bed. Morgana giggled again.

"That's Arthur's bed. Am I going to sleep in Arthur's bed? He won't like that."

Morgana was totally, completely drunk. As the feast had neared its end, Gwen had glanced over at Morgana-in-Arthur to see her slumped back in Arthur's chair, swallowing several pints of ale at once while Arthur's friends cheered her on. It was at this point when Gwen-in-Merlin walked over, dragged Morgana away from her fans and somehow managed to steady her as she stumbled from side to side, giggling like crazy.

As Gwen couldn't help but think with a small smile, it was probably the only time Arthur had ever giggled in his life.

"Now, Morgana," she said calmly, pulling back the sheets before pushing Morgana onto Arthur's bed. "It's time for sleep."

Morgana clutched at the sleeve of Merlin's shirt. "But I can't sleep," she whispered, Arthur's voice sounding scared. "Please stay?"

Gwen sighed. "Alright, then." She tugged the blanket over Morgana-in-Arthur and settled down on the edge of the bed. "Just for a little while."

Morgana wriggled slightly, pulling the blanket up tighter. Gwen guiltily realised that she was still fully dressed in Arthur's clothes, but decided not to do anything about it. The real Arthur, or a sober Morgana, would be the only ones responsible for changing Arthur's outfits.

A protective, motherly feeling enfolded Gwen as she watched over Arthur's sleeping form. Yes, it was Morgana's spirit, but there was also something strangely comforting about being next to Arthur's body. Maybe Merlin's instincts were kicking in - Gwen knew that he was utterly devoted to the young prince.

Hesitantly, Gwen reached out and smoothed Arthur's ruffled blond hair. Well, whatever the reason, she felt peacefully content.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	5. Chapter 5

Well, I realised that after the last chapter, I needed to fill in some blanks. So I typed up enough material for two chapters which I think enables the characters to... muse over their situations a little.

Please enjoy!

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Morgana woke with a splitting headache.

"Ouch," she muttered, reaching one hand up to cradle her head. She winced as the simple movement sent pain rushing through her mind.

Slowly, carefully, she eased herself up into a sitting position, her eyes squeezed tight as she tried to shut out the pain. She couldn't remember ever having a headache quite like this.

It was about this time when she noticed the length of her hair. Someone had cut her hair short. _Arthur, _Morgana thought angrily at the first name that came to mind. Oh, he was going to pay.

Gradually, Morgana opened her eyes as the pain ebbed slightly, letting her chamber come into focus. Pale sunlight filtered through the windows across the room… _Hang on._

_This isn't my room. This is Arthur's room._

Confused, Morgana continued to run her hand over her short hair. She gazed around the room, grimacing as pain continued to shoot through her head. She glanced at the end of the bed and let out an involuntary gasp.

"Merlin!"

The dark-haired figure lying across the bed shivered, opening one blue eye. Instantly, he sat bolt upright. "Arthur?" he exclaimed, shuffling backwards until he fell off the bed.

"Merlin, what are you doing here?" Morgana pushed the blanket off of her and leapt to her feet, immediately wincing as her headache came back stronger. She sat back down, massaging her temples. "Oww…"

Merlin's head appeared at the end of the bed. "Arthur, what am I doing here?" he asked timidly, his voice quieter than usual.

Morgana groaned, shaking her head. "I don't know… and where is Arthur anyway?"

Merlin stared at her. "But you're… _oh_." An spark of realisation glimmered in his eyes.

"Oh what?" Morgana snapped.

Merlin held one hand up in front of himself, gazing at it in disbelief before turning back to Morgana. "Mor- Morgana? Is that you?"

"Who do you think it is?" Morgana replied testily, continuing to rub her head.

"Morgana, it's me. I'm Gwen."

Morgana paused, staring at Merlin. "Gwen?"

Merlin nodded. "And you're Arthur." He sighed, glancing down at himself. "I completely forgot."

Morgana was silent for a moment, letting the memories flood back. Slowly, she gazed down, forcing herself to focus.

"Oh, great," she moaned, Arthur's voice coming out of her mouth. "Just great."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So, Morgana got drunk last night and now has a hangover?" Merlin asked, trying to clear things up.

Gwen, in his body, nodded. "Does Gaius have any cures?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder to where Morgana-in-Arthur's body was crouched on Arthur's bed.

"Oh, sure. I'll go get one for you," Merlin responded, giving a small smile. He faltered. "Umm, I mean… one for Morgana. Not you, because you're fine."

"Okay. Thanks, Merlin," Gwen smiled back as Merlin slipped out the door and began to walk towards Gaius's lodgings.

"Remember," he told himself, tugging at the hem of Morgana's dress. "You're Morgana. Be Morgana. The cure is for _Arthur_, not Morgana."

He soon arrived outside Gaius's room. Usually Merlin would just open the door and walk in, but he was Morgana. So he knocked.

The door swung open. "Ah, Morgana, my dear," Gaius appeared, smiling. He kissed Merlin's cheek while Merlin restrained the urge to duck. _Be Morgana, _he reminded himself.

"Now, what can I do for you?" Gaius asked, holding the door open.

Merlin stepped through, trying not to trip over Morgana's dress. "Well, Mor - _Arthur_ apparently had a bit too much to drink last night."

Gaius chuckled. "Yes; I've never seen him drink so much ale in one go. I had quite a bit of money on him."

Merlin idly wondered if he could persuade Morgana to get drunk again tonight and earn some quick money. "Yes, well, he woke up with a hangover this morning, and she - er, he, is meant to be battle training."

Gaius nodded. "I'll make up a hangover cure. Would you like to sit down?" He gestured to a nearby seat.

Merlin sat down, gazing around the room. This time yesterday, he had woken up in his own bed, in his own body. Today he'd woken up in Morgana's bed in Morgana's body. Amazing how four little words written on parchment could have caused that.

"Morgana, my dear, have you seen Merlin today?" Gaius asked suddenly, halting in his medicine-making. Anxiousness had crept into his voice, and Merlin felt a stab of emotion towards the man who was like a father to him.

"Ummm… yes, I saw him," Merlin replied hesitantly, absentmindedly twirling a loose strand of Morgana's hair. "He's with Arthur."

"Ah, right." Gaius sounded relieved as he turned back to his work.

Merlin's eyes wandered over the room, searching for that piece of parchment. How could it have gone missing? The four of them were only unconscious for ten minutes, at the least.

"Here you are, Morgana." Gaius interrupted Merlin's thoughts, passing him a small vial filled with a dark greenish liquid. "Tell Arthur to drink it in one go."

"Will do," Merlin responded, shaking his arm slightly so the sleeve on Morgana's dress didn't get in the way. He took the vial, standing up. "Thanks, Gaius."

"Think nothing of it, my dear." Gaius turned back to his bench, beginning to clean up his apparatus. Behind him, a small smile played on Morgana's lips as Merlin walked out of the room.

He was almost at Arthur's room when a thought suddenly struck him. He leaned against the wall, staring at the vial in his hand.

_I cast that spell, _Merlin thought in disbelief._ To undo it, would I have to tell the others what I am?_

He held up his other hand. Slim, well-manicured. The complete opposite of his usual. _But what if I don't have my magic anymore? What if… what if _Gwen_ has it now?_

They'd switched bodies, and so far they seemed to have kept their personalities - Merlin himself was still clueless about fashion; Arthur was still commanding; Gwen still gentle; Morgana still spirited. Was Merlin's magic personal or physical?

_Well, even if Gwen has my magic now, _Merlin mused, _I'd still have Morgana's_. Morgana, he knew, was a seer, and so possessed a greater chance of magical ability than people like Gwen or Arthur. But would that be enough to cast the spell to switch them back?

Merlin shook his head, clearing his thoughts. They hadn't even found the reverse spell yet - there was no point worrying about magic until it was discovered.

Merlin straightened up, smoothing out a few crinkles from Morgana's dress. He couldn't help but notice that, since he'd been in Morgana's body, he had found himself fiddling with her dress a lot more than he'd fussed over his usual 'Merlin' outfit. It unnerved him slightly.

He crossed the hall and knocked on Arthur's door.

"Who is it?" he heard his own voice call at the same time Arthur's voice yelled "Please stop it!"

Merlin slowly edged the door in. "It's me, Merlin - I mean, Morgana," he corrected hurriedly as a young serving boy walking down the corridor gave him a curious look.

Merlin's own face appeared at the door. "Did Gaius give you the cure?" Gwen asked quietly in Merlin's own voice, opening the door wide enough for Merlin-in-Morgana to slip through.

Merlin held up the small vial. "Gaius said to drink it in one go."

Gwen nodded, taking the vial from him. "Thanks, Merlin." She hesitated, glancing at him briefly. "Did you sleep in that dress last night?"

"Umm, yes," Merlin admitted, feeling slightly sheepish. He cast a fleeting look at his own blue eyes. All he could see was Morgana's face reflected back at him, along with the sensitivity Merlin usually saw in Gwen's eyes. No magic whatsoever.

Gwen sighed. She briefly glanced at Morgana-in-Arthur, then turned back to Merlin-in-Morgana, chewing her lip. "I may regret saying this… but can you and Arthur try getting changed yourself?"

Merlin stared at her. "Are you joking?" he finally managed to say, Morgana's eyes wide.

Gwen shook her head. "Oh, here," she added, slipping off the neckerchief she was wearing. She held it out. "You're going to need this."

Fuming silently with disbelief, Merlin grudgingly took it. "Thanks a lot, Gwen."


	6. Chapter 6

Just thought I'd say a big thank you to those people who gave up around five minutes of their life to write a review for this story. So, thanks!!!

* * *

Arthur decided there and then that he hated blindfolds. Not because they obscured his vision, but because they itched, making him want to rub his eyes. But of course he couldn't, because that's what the blindfold was covering. It irritated him immensely.

"Are you done yet, Merlin?" he asked yet again, drumming out a tune on the chairs arm with his fingers.

"Will you just stop asking already?" Morgana's voice answered him, sounding flustered. "I've already told you no!"

Arthur sighed, leaning back. Stupid body-switch spell. Messing up his life, and the life of his friends. If the spell had been a man, Arthur would have locked him in the stocks and thrown away the key. No doubt Merlin would have enjoyed that.

Annoyed that his sight was obscured, Arthur concentrated on the sounds in the room. There was the rustle of cloth and quiet swearing that had been going on for a while - Merlin, trying to dress Morgana's body with his eyes shut. At least, Arthur assumed that Merlin had his eyes shut, especially after that whole "We should respect each others' bodies" speech he'd given last night.

"Okay, I think I've got it," Morgana's voice interrupted his thoughts. "You can take the blindfold off now."

Arthur immediately reached up, pulling the blindfold down around his neck. He blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the sudden light.

Merlin-in-Morgana was standing before him, clothed in Morgana's blue daywear dress. "Well, that's over and done with."

Arthur nodded, sighing. "Finally." He stood up, feeling the rustle of material adjust around him. He'd gotten changed before Merlin (eyes shut the whole time) and was currently wearing the same dress Gwen had worn yesterday. He folded his arms self-consciously. "Can we go now?"

Merlin sat down heavily at Morgana's dressing room table. Uncertainly, he picked up Morgana's hairbrush. "Shouldn't we do our hair?" he asked, cautiously running the brush through Morgana's long hair. "Morgana and Gwen usually do theirs." The brush stuck hard, and Merlin tried to yank it out, wincing. "Umm, Arthur? A little help here?"

Arthur sighed, unfolding his arms. He reached out, grasped the brush and gave it one fierce pull.

"Ow!" Merlin complained as the brush released its grip on Morgana's hair. He rubbed his head, grimacing. "This isn't going to work, is it?"

Arthur unceremoniously tossed the hairbrush back on the table. "No, Merlin, it isn't. Now can we go?"

Merlin stood up, still studying his reflection while he smoothed down Morgana's hair. He twirled from one side to the other. "You sure it looks okay?"

Arthur rolled Gwen's eyes, grabbed the sleeve of Morgana's dress and dragged Merlin across the room. As they left, Arthur couldn't resist saying "You know what, Merlin? You've spent far too long in Morgana's body. You're actually worrying about your _hair_."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Okay," Morgana muttered to herself, flexing her arm. Excitement pulsed through her, making her nervous. Ever since she could remember, she'd watched the knights train to do battle, always longing to join them. But she was the Lady Morgana, and the ability to fight was shameful in a lady.

Morgana smirked slightly, rubbing her unshaven chin. Yes, she _had_ been Lady Morgana, but now she was Prince Arthur, heir to the throne of Camelot - in body, at least. No royal command forbidding her to fight. Perfect.

Gwen-in-Merlin stumbled across the room under the weight of Arthur's armour. "Found it," Gwen said simply, dumping it on the table. "Right at the front of all the other armour."

Morgana smiled warmly at the maidservant-turned-manservant. "Thanks, Gwen." She reached out and grasped a piece of armour, turning it over in her hand. She frowned, concentrating. "Okay, so this piece would go…" She moved it to left arm, trying it on.

Gwen glanced across at her, looking uncomfortable. "Umm… actually, Morgana…" She took the piece of armour from her friend and bent down on one knee. "See, this guards your shin," she explained, tying it on. "My father's a blacksmith; I know where most of this armour should go."

Morgana nodded, watching as Gwen continued to dress her. _I should thank Gaius, _Morgana thought absentmindedly. His hangover cure had worked almost immediately, although it had to be one of the worst things Morgana had ever tasted. _But I guess it would have to be strong, in order to get rid of that headache._

"Okay, all done." Gwen straightened up and leaned against the tables edge. "How's it feel?"

Morgana moved her arms up and down, getting used to the feel of the armour. "Hmm… it's heavier than I thought."

"You'll get used to it," Gwen reassured her. She hesitantly touched the stubble on her chin. "Do you think… do you reckon we should shave?"

Morgana turned her head, trying to make out Arthur's reflection in the small window. "You can," she decided, turning back to Gwen. She smiled again. "It'll be interesting to see what Arthur looks like with a beard. I've always wondered."

Gwen gave a light laugh, still running her palm over her face. "It just feels… odd. Do you think Merlin will find the spell soon?"

"I wonder why we keep picking on Merlin?" Morgana wondered, still swinging her arms. The armour wasn't uncomfortable, but it would take some getting used to. "He said the spell, but it's not like he can do magic or anything."

A thoughtful expression passed over Merlin's face as Gwen replied "I never really thought about that."

Morgana ruffled Arthur's hair. "Oh well." Eagerness coursed through her again. "But I hope we get the spell after training." Much as she enjoyed the benefits that came with Arthur's body - namely battle training and the ability to drink huge amounts of alcohol - she wouldn't want to be Arthur forever. If she was, she'd end up ruling Camelot, and would probably be forced to marry some woman she didn't know.

Or she could always just marry Arthur-in-Gwen, or even Merlin-in-herself, but that would just be bizarre.

"Oh, almost forgot." Merlin's voice broke Morgana's musings as Gwen turned and hurried off to the armoury. When she returned, she was holding a long, thin object and there was a tinge of pink in Merlin's cheeks.

"A good knight can't go without his - or her - sword," Gwen declared, placing Arthur's sword on the table. She swiftly attached the scabbard to Morgana, tying it firmly in place, before she finally passed the sword to Morgana.

Morgana held the sword loosely, testing its weight. It was light enough to weld easily, but heavy enough to strike a good blow. Pleased, she slipped the sword into its scabbard. "Ready, Gwen?"

Gwen nodded, Merlin's eyes shining. For a moment, Morgana could have sworn she saw a shimmer of gold in them, but the next second they were back to their average blue. Maybe she was just imaging things.

"Onwards, then, noble Merlin-Gwen," Morgana proclaimed, purposefully imitating Arthur's behaviour before he fought a battle. She pointed ceremoniously towards the door. "Today, we shall conquer."


	7. Chapter 7

This chapter took me a while to write... I hope it's worth it! I'm finally back on track with my chapter plan. *dances*

Enjoy, and please R&R!!!

* * *

"You sure Morgana has never done this before?" Merlin asked Arthur quietly in Morgana's voice. "She seems to know what to do."

Arthur leaned forward, resting Gwen's head against his hand. "We sparred a few times when we were younger, but Uther disapproved."

Gwen gave a light laugh. "You sure? Morgana told me it was because she kept winning." Her cheeks flushed as she suddenly remembered who she was talking to. "Sorry, sire. I didn't…"

"It's all right, Guinevere," Arthur interrupted, not even looking at her. "It's not exactly like I can complain about it, can I?" He half-heartedly gestured at himself.

Merlin nudged Arthur-in-Gwen. "So, did Morgana win?" he enquired, winking at Gwen-in-Merlin.

Arthur ignored him, preferring to watch Morgana-in-Arthur. "No, Morgana," he muttered under his breath, wincing. "Not like that."

Gwen glanced over at the field, just in time to see Morgana swipe Arthur's sword at her opponent. There was a clang of metal on metal as the sword hit the knight's shin.

"What is she _doing_ out there?" Arthur continued muttering, clenching Gwen's hands into fists. "You always let your opponent's sword pass over you first."

Merlin-in-Morgana and Gwen-in-Merlin exchanged glances. To Gwen, it looked like Morgana was doing fine - the knight had fallen to the ground, clutching his leg, while Morgana hovered over him. Arthur's face wore a mixture of triumph and anxiousness as she held out a hand to help the fallen knight up.

The real Arthur groaned. "Don't help him up; he might be feinting."

Sure enough, once the knight was standing up, he lashed out at Morgana's chest. Morgana instantly crashed to the ground, landing heavily on her back.

"Ouch," Merlin winced, twiddling a strand of Morgana's hair. "That's got to hurt."

Gwen struggled to stay where she was instead of rushing over to help her friend. She'd watched battle fighting a few times, and knew that a knight was supposed to grin and bear any pain he received. But Morgana wasn't a real knight, so maybe she didn't wouldn't be able to.

"C'mon, get up." Arthur was completely absorbed in the battle, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he kept talking to himself. "What are you waiting for?"

Slowly, Morgana pulled herself to her feet, managing to face her opponent.

"That's it!" Arthur shouted encouragingly. Morgana-in-Arthur, her opponent, Merlin-in-Morgana and all the other knights turned to stare at him while Gwen winced. Piece by piece, Arthur was destroying her reputation as Morgana's quiet, respectful maidservant. How long before Uther threw Arthur-in-her-body in the stocks? Probably not long at all.

Arthur finally noticed that everyone was watching him. "Er, sorry," he said quickly. "Just got a bit over-excited, I guess."

Merlin bit Morgana's lip, trying to stop himself from laughing while all the puzzled knights turned back to the battlefield. "Arthur, maybe you shouldn't watch," he suggested, Morgana's eyes sparkling. "You'll just get in the way."

Arthur frowned at him. "That's my body out there," he pointed out. "I have more right to be here than either of you."

Gwen sighed, watching Arthur as once more he turned his attention to Morgana. He may have been in her body, but there was now something in his voice and posture that Gwen had certainly never had - a kind of commanding authority.

A light hand touched Gwen's elbow. "Gwen," Morgana's voice said in a low undertone. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Gwen glanced at Arthur one last time before turning to Merlin-in-Morgana. "Sure."

Merlin nodded, grasping Gwen's jacket and guiding her over to a small space between two nearby tents.

"Merlin, what is it?" Gwen asked, worried. A second ago, Merlin had been cheerful; now, as his eyes kept flickering, he seemed very uneasy.

Merlin tugged at Morgana's dress, not meeting her eyes. "Well, umm… I just remembered something that I wanted to ask you." He glanced up at her. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do!"

Merlin gave a small smile. "Thanks. Now, would you ever turn me in if I broke the law? Like, a really serious law."

Gwen was silent for a moment. "I… I don't think so," she said slowly. "If you did break a law, I don't think you'd have done it deliberately."

Merlin sighed. "Gwen, I - I have to tell you, now that you're me. Just remember, I'm still the same old Merlin."

Gwen nodded hesitantly. Her heart - well, Merlin's heart - seemed to slow down slightly as Merlin opened Morgana's mouth.

"Gwen, I…"

"What are you doing?" A loud voice exclaimed. "Get out from behind there!"

Merlin shot Gwen a last desperate look before turning and walking out from behind the tent. Puzzled, Gwen followed him.

One of the knights stood there; the anger on his face passed almost immediately as he noticed Merlin-in-Morgana. "The Lady Morgana!"

Merlin nodded, holding his head high. "Yes, I am."

"I - I had no idea…" the knight spluttered, looking embarrassed. "Please forgive my hastiness."

Merlin took a step towards the knight and touched his arm lightly. "Your hastiness is forgiven. Please do not bother me or my friend in the future."

The knight nodded, looking dazed as Merlin strolled past him. Gwen followed, feeling the same as the knight - what had Merlin been about to tell her? She certainly wasn't about to find out now, because Arthur had rushed over to them.

"Where were you?" He crossed his arms, staring at them expectantly with his eyes narrowed. He made Gwen's body look so much like Arthur that it was scary, at least to Gwen.

"We were gone five minutes!" Merlin said incredulously. "You can't honestly have missed us in that time."

Arthur hesitated. "I didn't miss you," he responded slowly. "I just merely wondered where you were."

Merlin grinned. "I always knew you cared about us servants."

Arthur turned on his heel, stalking back to where they'd been watching the battle training.

"Not even a little?" Merlin called after him. If Arthur had heard Merlin, he didn't show it.

Gwen watched them curiously. "He does care about you," she said quietly, looking at Merlin. "Arthur, I mean."

Merlin glanced at her. "He does a good deal of hiding it, then," he replied, but there was still a lightness in his voice.

"And you care for him."

Merlin averted his eyes. "It's my job."

Gwen touched his arm lightly. "We all know it's more than that." She hesitated, then added "Umm, that thing you were going to tell me about…"

"Never mind," Merlin interrupted her. "I'll - I'll tell you some over time, okay?"

Gwen nodded, feeling slightly put out. "Okay." She glanced across at the village. Smoke was billowing out from several chimneys, and Gwen suddenly realised something. "My father!"

Merlin glanced up, Morgana's face blank. "Your father? What about him?"

Gwen glanced anxiously over at the village again. "During important events, as soon as Morgana's dressed, she usually lets me visit my father quickly."

"Well, I don't think you can visit him looking like me," Merlin pointed out. "But if it's just the body that counts…"

Simultaneously, they both turned and stared at Arthur-in-Gwen. He was leaning against a small table, still muttering frantically to himself as he watched Morgana battle. Merlin slowly grinned.

"No!" Gwen burst out. "No, Arthur can't visit Dad. He's nothing like me! Dad will know the difference immediately."

"C'mon, Gwen," Merlin responded cheerfully. "He's been getting you into trouble ever since we switched. Isn't it time he did something to repay you?"

"But - Arthur's nothing like me!" Gwen repeated frantically, running her hands through Merlin's short hair. "We're complete opposites."

Merlin continued grinning. "Well, you know what they say, Guinevere… opposites attract."

"But… but, it's Arthur!"

"It'll be fine, I'm sure," Merlin replied, trying to calm her down. "All you need to do is give Arthur a few pointers."

"Why are you talking about me?" Gwen's voice came from behind them.

"Oh, hi!" Merlin smiled. "See, the thing is, Arthur, Gwen usually goes to see her father at this time of day."

"So?"

"So…" Merlin pointed at Arthur. "You're in Gwen's body. It's time you started acting like her."

The real Gwen groaned, covering her eyes with one hand. Arthur would probably get angry now, or even as panicky as Gwen was.

But instead Arthur said "Oh - okay."

Gwen peered at him through her fingers in surprise. His face - well, technically Gwen's - looked sincere. Had Arthur really just agreed to act like her?

Merlin seemed stunned too. "Sorry? Didn't quite catch that. It sounded like you said _okay_."

Arthur sighed. "I did. Wasn't it you who told me earlier to respect the body I was in, and all that?"

"Thank you so, so much, Arthur!" Gwen cried, relieved. Without thinking what she was doing, she flung her arms around Arthur-in-Gwen, pulling him into a tight hug.

Arthur coughed slightly, patting Gwen lightly on her back. "Ummm, you're welcome."

Gwen quickly let go of him and stepped back, Merlin's cheeks flushing deeper than they ever had before. "I, err… sorry, Arthur! I mean… sorry, sire..."

Arthur smiled gently, for a second actually looking more like Gwen than Arthur. "It's the least I can do, Guinevere."

Merlin coughed. "Hate to break up the moment, but we really should plan this. How about you two go now, and when Morgana's finished training she can come with me to Gaius's, and we can search for that parchment."

Arthur nodded, once more transforming Gwen's gentle features into his own commanding ones. "Sounds like a good idea. We'll meet you there, then." Hesitantly, he turned back to Gwen. "Now, about this whole 'acting like you' thing…"


	8. Chapter 8

A big thank you to everyone who's been reviewing this story - I'm really grateful you take the time to write your views of this story.

* * *

Merlin knew that there was really no need to do this - they would find the spell soon enough - but he was a worrier by nature. A thousand different scenarios ran through his mind, each one worse than the one before.

_What if we can't find it the spell? What if we're stuck like this forever? What if Gwen casts a spell without realising it and gets caught by Uther? He'll have her - me - killed immediately._

Merlin placed his feet on the stone stairs carefully, thanking his lucky stars that, for once, there were no prisoners in the dungeon. No prisoners equalled no guards; no guards equalled no one to stop him.

He moved over to the far corner of the dungeon and made his way down the roughly-carved steps, trying to keep Morgana's sleeves from getting burnt by the torch. _I swear, first thing I'm going to do if I'm stuck as Morgana is cut off her stupid sleeves_, he thought irritably as he rounded a corner and entered the cavern.

The self-satisfied voice of the Great Dragon greeted him. "Well well well," the giant reptile uncurled his tail, smoke furrowing from his nostrils. "If it isn't the young warlock, trapped in another form."

"So you know." Morgana's voice echoed against the cave walls. ""You know that it's me, and not Morgana."

The Great Dragon chuckled. "Would you have expected otherwise?"

Merlin wasn't quite sure how to reply. "Please tell me," he said instead. "Do you know if we'll switch back?"

The dragon blinked his gold eyes, leaning closer. "Would you really be willing to know the answer?" He asked, a teasing note in his voice.

"Oh, great!" Merlin groaned, waving the torch from side to side while running his other hand through Morgana's hair. "That means that we won't switch back, right? That I'll have to be Morgana for the rest of my life."

"I didn't say that!" The Great Dragon sat up, clapping his wings together sharply. "Merlin, no sorcerer has used that spell before you, except for the one who wrote it. And he didn't even know what he was doing at the time. It came as a shock to him when he found the bodies of him and his friends had been switched."

"Did he switch back?" Merlin asked quickly, a dim spark of hope growing in his chest. "The sorcerer who wrote the spell?"

"He did, eventually." The Great Dragon paused, then continued "It took him six months to find a solution."

The hopeful spark evaporated. "Six…six months?" Merlin repeated hoarsely.

The Great Dragon leaned closer still, so that Merlin was suddenly bathed in the warm air the dragon was breathing out. "The sorcerer destroyed all copies of the spell except for one. That is the one you are searching for." The dragon closed his eyes. "The answer you seek may be closer than you realise."

Merlin hesitated, glowering. "Why can't you ever give me a straight forward answer for once?!" He replied in frustration. "Can't you just tell me where it is?"

The Great Dragon opened his eyes and leapt into the air, his leathery wings keeping him airborne. "But what would you learn, Merlin, if I was to tell you?" He called out in parting as he sped further into the depths of the cavern.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Okay, how's this?" Arthur walked up to Gwen, feeling like an idiot. He half-heartedly waved at her. "Hi, dad, sorry I couldn't make it earlier, Morgana needed me."

Gwen shook Merlin's head, sighing. "We're getting there. Try and just… slow down your words a little."

Arthur nodded, determined to get this right. He took a few steps back, breathed in deeply and forced a smile on his face. "Hi, dad. I'm really sorry I couldn't see you earlier, but Morgana needed me to help her." He dropped the smile, folding his arms. "That better?" he asked, reverting back to his normal self.

Gwen gave a small grin. "That's the best you've done so far, yes."

Gwen probably wasn't aware, but since last night Arthur had been watching her, studying her movements. She had somehow managed to add a certain gracefulness to the way Merlin moved, and Merlin's voice was definitely gentler in some way. Arthur was now trying to incorporate that elegance into his own walk and voice, much to the amusement of Gwen.

"If that's the best I've done," Arthur replied in Gwen's voice. "Shouldn't we get it over and done with now?"

Gwen-in-Merlin looked slightly worried. "Now? You're sure?"

Arthur shrugged. "Why not?"

Gwen took a few steps towards him and hesitantly raised one hand.

Arthur shrank back. "What are you doing?"

"Fixing my hair," Gwen replied evenly. She walked behind Arthur, and he soon felt her fingers running through his hair.

"Your hair looks fine," Arthur said shortly, pulling away from her. "Come on." He rounded the corner, mentally reviewing what he was meant to say.

"Guinevere!" Tom's voice boomed, and Arthur suddenly found himself pressed against the blacksmith in his second embrace that day.

Slightly stunned, Arthur quickly remembered what Gwen had told him. "Dad!" He half-heartedly attempted to hug Gwen's father back. "I, err, missed you."

"Me too." Tom moved his hands to Gwen's shoulders, staring at Arthur intently. "I was getting worried; Morgana usually lets you out earlier."

Arthur grinned lopsidedly. "I was needed longer."

Tom tilted his head to one side, still gazing at his 'daughter'. "Are you feeling okay, Gwen?" he asked suddenly.

Arthur forced a laugh. "Me? I'm fine."

The blacksmith didn't seem convinced, but he pulled Arthur into another hug anyway. Emotion welled up in Arthur, much to his surprise and embarrassment. It had been a long time since he'd last been held this tightly by his own father - many years, actually.

"Gwen, are you crying?" Tom questioned abruptly. He delicately wiped away a tear from Arthur's face. "It was only a few extra hours or so."

Arthur shook his head, trying hard to stop the tears from falling. "It's - it's not that." _Oh, please, don't let anyone else see me crying. _

"Hello, Tom," Merlin's voice said cheerily from behind Arthur. "Gwen, are you okay?"

Tom glanced up. "Hello, Merlin." He focused on Arthur-in-Gwen again. "Are you sure you're okay?" he muttered.

Arthur nodded, wiping his face with Gwen's sleeve. He sighed, feeling his cheeks burn. "I'm fine."

Gwen-in-Merlin nudged Arthur-in-Gwen gently. "Gwen, we should be heading up to the castle now."

Tom looked startled. "What, already?"

"Morgana requested Gwen's presence tonight," Gwen replied, keeping Merlin's voice steady. "Isn't that right, Gwen?"

"Hmmm? Oh, yes, that's right."

Tom sighed. "Well, take care of yourself." He reached over and kissed Arthur-in-Gwen's cheek. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then. I love you."

"I… I love you too," Arthur repeated, blushing and casting a look at Gwen. Maybe it was just him, but Merlin's face looked slightly jealous.

_Let's just hope we won't have to go through this again tomorrow, _Arthur thought to himself as he began to walk towards the castle. Gwen plodded along beside him, staring at the ground. One of her hands was being used to finger Merlin's neckerchief, the other hung limply by her side.

_That's another thing, _Arthur thought. _I can't wait to be rid of these daft emotions. I mean, when have I ever just started crying? _

He blushed again as he remembered himself sobbing, then instantly hated himself for it. He averted his eyes, hoping Gwen hadn't noticed. _Stupid spell…_

And then he saw it.


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry it's been a while - but hey, it's Christmas/New Year! It's non-stop parties for my family at this time.

And that cliffie in the last chapter was an experiment to see how many more of you reviewed. :) It worked well.

I've almost finished the next chapter too, so expect that up in a few days.

* * *

Steel clashed as metal met metal. The wind whistled past the sword as it was raised into the air, carving deftly once more against the enemy's shield… Morgana grinned happily, triumphantly raising her sword over her opponent's limp form. But something was different… she was back in her old body.

"Sire? Arthur!"

Someone was calling Arthur's name - one of the knights, possibly Sir Corrs?

"What's happened?" A new voice now, actually sounding very similar to Morgana's voice. Morgana heard a loud rippp and felt something soft touch her head. Her world spun black, the battlefield disappearing into darkness.

"Morgan - Arthur!"

There was that voice again…

Morgana forcibly opened her eyes. The face staring back at her slowly swam into focus, confirming what she'd just remembered.

Merlin, in Morgana's body, was kneeling opposite the real Morgana. "Are you okay?" he said anxiously, rocking backwards and forwards. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Morgana tried to focus on the hand in front of her. "Two?"

Merlin sighed with relief, dropping his hand. "Oh, good!" He reached forward and gave Morgana a quick hug before helping her up into a sitting position.

Morgana groaned, clutching her head. A slight damp cloth was bound across Arthur's hair; Morgana drew her hand away and stared at her fingers. There was a faint trace of blood.

"What happened?"

"Sir Corrs knocked you out," Merlin explained. "Gave you a nasty cut on the head. I bandaged it, but I think you should still let Gaius see it."

Morgana gazed up at the knights surrounding them, noticing Corrs nearby. He averted his eyes when she glared at him. She glanced back at Merlin, who hastily hid his left arm behind his back.

"Bandaged it with what, Morgana?" Morgana asked slowly, suspicion creeping into her voice.

"Umm… a piece of cloth," Merlin answered innocently, not meeting her gaze.

Morgana reached out and grabbed his arm, forcing it forward. The left sleeve of her dress had been torn off. "Merlin! You ruined my dress!"

The knights all glanced at one another, clearly bewildered by 'Arthur's' statement.

Merlin forced a look of concern on his face. "Arthur, are you sure you're okay? Maybe we should go and see Gaius now."

Morgana took a few deep breaths, constraining the urge to shout at Merlin. "I think you're right, Morgana." Carefully, she pushed herself to her feet; Merlin also standing up.

"Sire." Sir Corrs stepped forward. "I feel like I should help you to the physician's chamber, seeing as I was the one who injured you."

"I'll be fine with him," Morgana replied grouchily, pointing at Merlin-in-Morgana.

Corrs looked confused. "Him?"

"The sooner we get him to Gaius, the better," Merlin interrupted, grabbing hold of Morgana-in-Arthur's arm. "Thanks for your offer, but I think I can manage him okay."

As the two of them made their way off the training field, Morgana leant down and whispered in Merlin's ear "That was my favourite dress too. I am going to make you pay, Merlin."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Gaius was enjoying a peaceful nap when a sudden knock at the door woke him up.

"Alright, alright," he mumbled, getting to his feet. "Who is it?" he called louder as he approached the door.

"It's me, Gaius," Morgana's voice replied. "Arthur hurt his head during training."

Gaius swung the door open. Morgana entered, looking more dishevelled than normal - one side of her dress hung in rags, and her hair held little of its usual gloss. Arthur stepped in beside her, his head bound in a cloth similar to that of Morgana's dress. On closer inspection, Gaius determined that it was in fact from Morgana's dress.

"So, you hurt your head?" Gaius guided Arthur towards a seat. "Who bandaged it?"

"I did," Morgana replied, pacing the room. Her eyes wandered back and forth.

"Hmm." Gaius turned back to Arthur and slowly peeled the make-shift bandage from the prince's head. Arthur winced.

Gaius wet a small sponge and siphoned off the dried blood. The cut he uncovered was fairly shallow, but messy.

Gaius placed the cloth from Morgana's dress on the table. "That was quick thinking, Morgana," he praised her. He chuckled. "One would almost think that you were a professional at this."

"Well, you taught me," Morgana muttered under her breath, then glanced up, her eyes wide. "You didn't hear that, did you?"

"Hear what?" Gaius walked over to a shelf, shifting through various herbs and concoctions.

"Gaius?" Morgana's voice was hesitant this time. The physician turned to look at her; she was staring at him nervously.

"What is it, Morgana?"

"Gaius, if anyone can help us, I think that you can."

"No!" Arthur's voice said sharply. "Morgana, do not say anything further."

"He has a right to know!" Morgana shot back. "He's helped us before - remember with Mordred?"

Arthur sank back in his chair, suddenly looking beaten. "I still don't think the others would agree," he muttered.

If Gaius was confused before, he was truly puzzled now. "Morgana? Arthur?" He said cautiously. "Is something wrong?"

Morgana sighed, placing her hands on Gaius's desk. "Gaius, I'm Merlin."

There was silence in the room for what seemed like a long time.

"Merlin?" Gaius echoed finally. He laughed nervously. "My dear, I think you must be mistaken..."

"No, honestly, I'm Merlin," Morgana argued, her face flushed. "I'm just in Morgana's body. The real Morgana - Morgana's soul, or whatever - is in Arthur's."

Gaius glanced at Arthur. The prince was staring at Morgana intently, a look of annoyance on his face. "I really don't think you should have told him. Arthur's going to be mad when he finds out."

"So," Gaius interrupted. "If you're telling the truth…"

"Which I am."

"You, Merlin, are now in Morgana's body, while Morgana is in Arthur's. So, is Arthur in Merlin's body, then?"

"No, he's in Gwen's," Arthur's body replied.

Gaius sank into his chair. "Gwen?"

"Gwen's me," Morgana - Merlin? - explained. "Gaius, you've got to believe us."

"I wouldn't believe you if I wasn't Arthur right now," Arthur's voice added.

Morgana turned back to Gaius. "Look, I'll prove that it's me." She took a few steps forward and whispered in his ear "Gaius, I can do magic. I'm a warlock." She lowered her head, stepping back. Her eyes were on the physician the whole time, and Gaius suddenly noticed the odd expression in them. It was an expression he'd only ever seen on one person before…

"Merlin?" He breathed. "Merlin, is that really you?"

Morgana/Merlin nodded eagerly. "It's me."

"But - how…?"

"There was a parchment on your table yesterday," Merlin-in-Morgana explained. "I read out a few words from it, and we ended up in each other's bodies."

Gaius breathed in sharply. Memories rushed back to him from a time many years ago. "That parchment? Oh, not again!"

"Again?" Now Morgana's face looked surprised.

Gaius leaned forward. "Before I tell you anything, let me get this straight. You all ended up in my room yesterday, Merlin read some words from it, and you switched bodies. Was this just before I came in?"

Arthur (Morgana?) and Morgana (Merlin?) nodded sheepishly.

"I should have known," Gaius mumbled, folding his hands together on the desk. "So Merlin is Morgana, Morgana is Arthur, Arthur is Gwen and Gwen is Merlin?"

The two young adults nodded again.

Gaius sighed. "I guess, then, I should tell you. That spell was an invention of someone I knew, someone who was curious about making new spells. It was invented before Arthur was born, and before Uther banned magic."

"You seem to know an awful lot about it," Morgana-in-Arthur said suspiciously.

"I should," Gaius admitted, lowering his gaze. "Because of the spell Niameh invented, Ygraine, Uther, Niameh and I switched bodies."


	10. Chapter 10

For those of you who asked for a flashback to when Gaius, Uther, Ygraine and Nimueh switched - I promise there will be one later.

Happy New Year everyone!!!

* * *

Arthur snatched what he'd seen off the ground, holding it up to eye level. He gave a sharp intake of breath. "Gwen, this is it!"

"What?" Gwen placed one hand on Arthur's shoulder, leaning forward.

Arthur jumped from one foot to the other, a huge grin on Gwen's face. "Read this!" He held it closer to her face.

It was a piece of parchment. The ink was smudged; the original paper sodden and covered with flecks of mud. Despite this, Gwen was able to make out a few words that had been written on it, and four in particular.

_Il corpo, li commuto._

"Yes!" Gwen cried, pulling Arthur into a tight embrace. It was weird hugging herself, but Gwen did it instinctively.

"That twice you've hugged me today," Arthur pointed out, Gwen's voice slightly muffled against Merlin's jacket.

Merlin's eyes widened as Gwen instantly let go of Arthur. The prince had been leaning heavily on her, and so fell to the ground. Mud splattered Gwen's pale dress as Arthur landed in what appeared to be a large puddle.

"Oh!" Gwen gasped, Merlin's cheeks flushing. She held out her hands, intending to help Arthur up. "Sorry, sire."

Arthur grasped Gwen's hand, hesitated, then jerked his hand back, pulling Gwen into the puddle.

"Now we're even," he grinned, Gwen's eyes alight with mischief.

Gwen struggling to sit up, laughing. Arthur laughed along with her, helping her sit up. Both Gwen and Merlin's outfits were covered with mud now, but neither of them cared.

Because soon, they'd be back in their own bodies.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Excuse me, but - _what?!_" Merlin was stunned. "This happened to you?"

"Who's Nimueh?" Morgana-in-Arthur asked curiously.

Gaius sighed. "Uther would probably kill me for telling you this, but Nimueh was… once a friend of Camelot, before Uther banned magic."

"And _who _is Nimueh?" Morgana asked again, more impatiently this time.

"She's a sorceress," Merlin summarised. "So she made the spell?"

Gaius nodded. "Yes, she did. She wanted to make the ultimate spell to spy on other kingdoms, and we encouraged her."

"Gosh," Merlin mumbled, sitting down opposite the physician. "So she created 'Il corp…"

"Don't say it!" Gaius said sharply, banging his hand against the table. Merlin and Morgana jumped. "It may not work on people who have switched bodies already, but it will work on people who haven't. And I have no desire to be either Arthur nor Morgana, so please don't repeat it."

"Well, that explains it," Morgana-in-Arthur muttered, running a hand through Arthur's hair. "So, you, Uther, Ygraine and Nimueh switched bodies? That must have been before Arthur was born."

Gaius nodded. "It was about one or two years before then, yes."

"Who became who?"

"Err…" Gaius looked uncomfortable. "Well, Nimueh became Uther… Uther went into Ygraine, Ygraine became me, and I was, err, Nimueh."

Merlin leaned forward, trying hard not to imagine the man in front of him as the attractive sorceress. "And, umm… how long did it take you to switch back?" he asked, trying to sound offhand. If Nimueh had been the sorcerer that the Dragon told him about, then maybe Gaius would know how to switch them back.

"Well-"

The door flew open and Gwen-in-Merlin and Arthur-in-Gwen bounced into the room. They both had huge grins on their faces, and their clothes were covered in mud.

"Oh!" Gwen came to a halt as she noticed Gaius. "Ummm, can we please speak to Morgana and Arthur?"

"I'm sure you can," Gaius replied, smiling. "_Guinevere_."

"Thanks," Gwen smiled at him, then frowned suddenly. "Huh?"

Merlin stood up, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Umm… I told Gaius that we'd been… you know."

"You told him without asking us?" Arthur queried, the grin on Gwen's face vanishing.

"It turns out he knows about this spell," Morgana-in-Arthur broke in quickly.

Arthur waved his hand in the air. Merlin noticed that he was holding what looked like a piece of parchment. "Well, we might not need him anymore."

Merlin stared in disbelief. "Is that…?"

Arthur grinned again. "It sure is."

Merlin leapt to his feet, almost knocking over the chair he'd been sitting on. Arthur handed over the parchment to him. "Careful," he warned.

Merlin held it up, reading what was written on it. "Where'd you find it?"

"Outside, just next to the road," Arthur answered. "It must have blown out the window while we were unconscious."

"It was windy yesterday," Gaius said thoughtfully.

Gwen-in-Merlin sat down in the seat Merlin had just vacated. "How do you know the spell?" she asked curiously.

"My, you really _are _Gwen." Gaius smiled at her. "I should have guessed. Merlin's voice now sounds - well, it sounds more like your usual."

Merlin scanned the parchment. He carefully dusted off some of the dried mud, trying to decipher what was written beneath the spell.

_Il corpo, li commuto._

_I am not to use this spell again, it appears. Uther banned it as soon as we switched back, and has ordered me to destroy all mention of it. Ygraine and Gaius agree, but I'm not so sure. This spell would allow us the ultimate victory; to spy on enemies and discover their intentions towards Camelot._

_And so I have kept this spell (and counter-spell) written in my secret records, where none can find it. _

_The spell will not work on people already under its influence, but I have created a counter spell which will should let the soul of each person to switch bodies again. If still not back in own body, the first spell can be said again, and so on._

_Note to self: do not use any the counter spells when they are people in the room not under the influence of the first._

_Otummoc il, oproc li._

Merlin stared at the four words written at the bottom of the paper, hope rising in his chest. Was this it?

"I think I've found it!" he said excitedly, waving the parchment in the air.

"So she wrote the counter-spell as well?" Gaius murmured. "I wouldn't have put it past her to leave it out…"

Arthur stood up. "Do it, Merlin!" he commanded, losing the little of Gwen he'd learnt. "Switch us back."

Merlin glanced at Gaius. "Gaius, it says here…"

"I know, I know," Gaius interrupted, getting to his feet. "I'll go check on Samuel in the village - he should be better now."

"Bye," Gwen smiled. She kissed his cheek; a very 'Gwen' thing she usually did when she was herself. Arthur and Morgana stifled a laugh when they saw what appeared to be Merlin kissing Gaius.

Gaius looked slightly fazed, then let it pass. "Well, good luck you four." He walked out, closing the door behind him. Morgana went over and locked it, then placed a chair against it for added security.

"Okay, Merlin - do it," Arthur said impatiently, making Gwen look at him curiously.

"Hang on," Morgana interrupted, Arthur's eyes shining. "Now that we have the counter spell, maybe we should spend a few more days as each other."

Arthur stared at her. "You are joking, right?"

There was a pause, then Morgana laughed. "Of course I'm joking!" she exclaimed, but the laugh sounded slightly forced. Merlin guessed that she wanted to do more battle training, or get drunk again.

"Let's do this, then," Merlin cleared his throat, excitement coursing through him. The others shut their eyes, bracing themselves. "Otummoc il, oproc li."

He felt a slight tingle of magic against his skin, but that was it - nothing like the usual warmth that flowed through him when he cast a spell.

Arthur opened one eye, then both. "Nothing's happened." He held up one hand. "Yep, still Gwen."

Merlin hesitated. Why hadn't the spell worked? He glanced at the others, and then his eyes focused on Gwen. All his previous thoughts about casting the spell suddenly rushed back to him.

"Maybe… maybe it's because I cast the spell, and not Morgana," he theorised, hoping that he sounded convincing. "Maybe the person who said the spell first has to say it again this time."

"Oh, so you mean Gwen would have to say it?" Morgana-in-Arthur turned to Gwen-in-Merlin. "It's worth a try."

Gwen looked momentarily alarmed - was that the face Merlin usually made when he'd just been reminded about something he'd forgotten?

"I guess I can try," she said slowly, while Merlin handed her the parchment. "This one here, right?"

Merlin nodded. "Just try your best, Gwen."

Morgana and Arthur closed their eyes again, but Merlin kept his on Gwen's face.

"Otummoc il, oproc li," Gwen read out in Merlin's voice.

There was a flash of gold in her eyes and she gasped, dropping the parchment.

And then the world spun black.


	11. Chapter 11

Sorry for the wait; I've been busy with my studying recently. There's only one chapter to go after this, so it should be up pretty soon.

In the last chapter, I accidentally misspelled the spells. So, it's "Il corpo li commuta" for the first spell, and "Atummoc il oproc li" for the counter-spell. Sorry for that.

Once more, I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed this story - some of your comments have inspired me to write parts, while others have simply encouraged me to continue writing. So, thank you, and I hope you like this next chapter!

* * *

The world spun back into focus.

Arthur staggered, clutching at thin air as he fell. His back hit the stone floor - around him, a chorus of "Ows!" told him that the others had also fallen.

Arthur lay still for a minute, gasping for breath as he struggled to regain control of his senses. Okay, last thing he remembered was…

Gwen-in-Merlin reading out that spell.

Almost instantly, Arthur moved his arm slightly and ran a hand through his hair. A slow grin spread across his face as he realised that his hair was once more short.

"Yes!" Arthur heard Morgana's voice said triumphantly.

"Mor… Morgana?" Arthur pushed himself up into a sitting position. Morgana was sitting opposite him, her hands running over her body. She glanced up as he spoke.

"Yep!" Morgana's face broke into a grin as she ran one hand through her hair. "I'm back!" She winced slightly as she found several knots, then glanced down at herself. "Shame I can't do anymore fighting, though."

Gwen's body slowly sat up beside Arthur, groaning. "Did it work?"

"It did for me," Morgana replied happily. The smile on her face changed to a frown as she examined the ruined sleeve of her dress. "Hmm… how can I punish Merlin for this?" she wondered out-loud.

Arthur watched Gwen curiously. He'd only been in her body for a day, and yet it felt almost as weird as it had done watching Morgana in his body.

Gwen glanced down at herself, patting her dress. She smiled suddenly, holding up one hand in front of her face.

"Gwen?" Arthur said cautiously, just in case it wasn't her. He needn't have worried; Gwen instantly turned towards him and Arthur could tell by the expression in her eyes that she was back.

"Yes, it's me," she responded, smiling at him.

"So, that's three of us," Morgana concluded, pulling herself to her feet. "That means Arthur should be back to normal too."

Arthur nodded absentmindedly, then realised what Morgana had just said. "What?"

Morgana and Gwen glanced at him, their faces suddenly worried. "You are Merlin, aren't you?" Gwen asked quietly.

Arthur stared at her. Then, slowly, he lowered his head and stared at himself.

The brown jacket, the colour-coded neckerchief and shirt… that completely gave it away.

Arthur closed his eyes, groaning with annoyance. "Oh, _come on!_"

"Great," he heard Morgana sigh. "So that means you're not Merlin, are you?"

"I should hope not," Arthur heard his original voice say. "Because then, I'm not sure who I would be."

Arthur opened his eyes, taking in the room again. There was Morgana, standing opposite him. Gwen was sitting beside him, an anxious expression on her face. And half under the table, almost out of Arthur's line of view, was his old body...

Presumably with Merlin in it.

Curiosity overcame anger for a second. "How'd you get under there?" Arthur asked despite himself.

Arthur's body glanced at him. "I don't think anyone has control over where they land," Merlin-in-Arthur replied, grasping the edge of the table and hauling himself upright. Morgana quickly reached out and grabbed his shoulders, keeping him steady.

Merlin smiled at her, a slightly bemused expression in Arthur's eyes. "Thanks."

Morgana hastily let go and took a step back. "Least I could do," she answered, not quite meeting his gaze. Her pale eyes suddenly flashed with a different emotion. "Oh, and I'm still going to punish you for destroying my dress."

Merlin ran one hand through Arthur's hair, grinning lopsidedly. "I only did it to help you." He gingerly touched the bandage on his forehead. "Or Arthur."

"Arthur?" Gwen said hesitantly, holding out one hand. Arthur suddenly remembered Gwen - when she was Merlin - offering to help him up before, and how he'd pulled her into the mud instead.

Arthur grinned at the memory as he took her hand. "Thanks, Gwen." Now that he knew he was in Merlin's body, he could hear the difference in his voice. He gave a hesitant cough, listening to the difference. Well, at least he wasn't a girl anymore…

"Right." Morgana twirled around to face Arthur-in-Merlin and Gwen. "Merlin, do you reckon you can use the spell immediately?"

Arthur watched as Merlin-in-Arthur hesitantly replied "Ummm… possibly, I don't know." He glanced at the floor. "Gwen, did you drop the parchment?"

Gwen stared at him for a second before she realised. "Oh," she said absentmindedly, her eyes darting across the ground. "I think I..."

"Found it," Morgana interrupted. "Arthur, you're standing on it."

Arthur glanced down. Sure enough, a corner of paper was sticking out from under Merlin's left boot.

"Okay, good!" Merlin said brightly in Arthur's voice. He took a few steps towards Arthur and pointed to the words _Il corpo, li commuta. _

"According to this, we have to use the first spell again," Merlin explained. "Gwen, will you read it?"

Arthur glared at him. "I'm Arthur," he corrected him.

Merlin looked confused for about a second. "Sorry, Arthur," he apologised, averting his eyes and shuffling his feet. "It's just that I'm kinda used to Gwen being me now."

"I think I became used to being you, Arthur," Morgana admitted. "It's weird seeing your body move without me in it."

Arthur raised Merlin's eyebrows. "Can we get on with this, then?" he said impatiently. "I want to get back in my body as soon as possible."

"Well, you two are going to have to leave," Merlin added, addressing the two girls. "Otherwise we'd all end up switched again."

Morgana shrugged. "We'll be waiting outside," she decided, striding towards the door. Arthur noticed that she walked like she had done in his body - head held high, shoulders back, arms swinging freely. Gwen followed her, and the door shut behind them.

"Okay," Merlin-in-Arthur turned to face Arthur-in-Merlin. "Let's get this over and done with."

Arthur nodded, glancing down at the parchment. "Here goes nothing - il corpo, li commuta."

There was a sudden flash of heat in his eyes before his vision went dark.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

There were two loud cries from inside, followed by the sound of two bodies hitting hard stone.

"Well, that sounds promising," Morgana stated, leaning back from the door.

Gwen nodded, fiddling with her dress. Although trousers may have their advantages, she had secretly missed her simple maidservant dress, and was glad to be wearing it again.

"I'll need you help later, Gwen," Morgana added. She tugged at her hair, frowning. "I have no idea how Merlin got so many knots in my hair. He has my body for one day, and he somehow manages to make a complete mess of it. Hair, dress…" she sighed.

"Well, my dress got covered with mud," Gwen pointed out. "But that was more my fault than Arthur's."

Morgana smirked, raising her eyebrows in an Arthur-like way. "I thought you two took a long time to get here."

Gwen's cheeks darkened, just as the door to Gaius' chambers swung open and Merlin's body appeared in the entrance. "It worked," he confirmed, grinning. "All back to normal." He glanced down at himself and patted his jacket. "I hope, at least."

Gwen sighed with relief, pushing a strand of her hair back. "Just so long as we each have our own bodies again."

"Too right," Arthur agreed, pushing past Merlin into the hall.

"I sure hope there's no side-effects," Merlin said thoughtfully. Instantly, the other three swivelled to glare at him.

"Side-effects?" Arthur said sharply, just as Morgana asked "What _kind _of side-effects?"

Merlin hesitated, holding his hands out in front of himself. "Look, there's probably none. We all seem fine, right?"

Gwen nodded, glancing down at herself again. "At the moment, yes."

An awkward silence formed between them.

Morgana was the first to break it. "Well, Gwen," she said, turning to her maidservant. "We should go and get changed."

"And I should get this armour off," Arthur agreed, lightly tapping the metal covering his chest. "Come on, Merlin." He hesitated. "I'll see you two later, then," he said, his tone reserved, to Morgana and Gwen.

Morgana rolled her eyes. "Arthur, there's no need to be so formal about it."

Merlin giggled, then stopped in shock, clapping his hand across his mouth. "Oh, god…"

Arthur grinned. "Is that a side effect, then? Sounding like Morgana when you laugh?"

Merlin's blue eyes narrowed as he slowly lowered his hand.

Morgana laughed at the expression on Merlin's face. "Well, if that's the worst side effect, then we should be fine."

"Good," Arthur agreed, ruffling his blond hair. "It does feel good to be back in my own body," he added. "Well, I'll see you later, then."

Morgana nodded. She turned and began to walk down the corridor, calling over her shoulder "Bye, Arthur, Merlin."

"Bye," Gwen echoed gently, smiling, as she followed Morgana.


	12. Chapter 12

Well, here it is. The last chapter. A huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story - without your enthusism and critisism, i probably would have given up after chapter two.

Despite what I said, I have not included a last generation switch flashback - I felt it made the story even more complicated than it already was.

And on a last note... if you've enjoyed this, why not try writing your own body-switch story for Merlin? I would love to read more from this fandom.

Please enjoy!!!

* * *

Merlin patted his hair into place, examining his reflection in the window.

"You sure you're not one of the others?" Gaius asked him jokingly, placing their dinner on the table. Merlin giggled, sliding into the seat opposite him.

Gaius raised his eyebrow. "Side effect?"

Merlin cursed himself inwardly. "Apparently. I've been giggling for at least two days now, and it's just so annoying."

Gaius nodded knowingly. "Ah, that happened to Uther." He chuckled. "Pretty funny, really, especially when he was addressing the King of Northumberland."

Merlin grinned at the mental image.

"Are the others experiencing side effects too?" Gaius inquired.

Merlin shrugged. "Well, Gwen's started casting spells, Arthur's taken up sewing and Morgana chatted up one of the servant girls." Gaius stared at him, and Merlin giggled again. "Sorry, just kidding."

Gaius grinned. "I wouldn't have put it past them."

Merlin prodded a carrot with his fork, then decided to finally ask the question that had been bugging him for a while. "So, Gaius… how long were you switched for?"

Gaius looked surprised. "I'll just look it up." He stood up and headed for one of the many bookshelves lining his chamber.

"You have it written down?" Merlin asked incredulously.

"We each kept a diary," Gaius explained, taking down a very thin book and beginning to leaf through the pages. "It was Ygraine's idea." He stopped at one page; reached into his robes and pulled out his spectacles. "Let's see… ah, here it is. We were first switched on the second of May, and we switched back around the middle of…" Gaius peered at Merlin over the top of his glasses.

The young warlock hastily swallowed a lump of fish. "What?"

"You four were lucky," Gaius replied, closing the book and placing it back on the shelf. "We were switched for six -"

"Months?" Merlin volunteered.

Gaius stared at him in surprise. "Six months? Whatever gave you that idea?" The physician shook his head. "We would have forgotten ourselves if we'd been switched that long. No, it was six weeks."

"Six weeks?" Merlin repeated, staring down at his plate. The Dragon had gotten it wrong, then. He suddenly felt angry; what business did that dragon have worrying him like that? Sure, six weeks was a long time, but still…

"Yes, six weeks." Gaius confirmed, sitting down again.

Merlin placed his fork down beside his plate and stood up. "Sorry, Gaius, I have to go… see Arthur, about… something."

"Well, hurry up," Gaius advised him. "Your dinner will get cold."

Merlin nodded. "Right."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The beer finally swallowed, Morgana slammed the tankard on the table in triumph. Around her, several of the knights roared their approval, while others just sat looking confused. Gwen stood a few tables away, her expression nervous, but she seemed unwilling to interfere in case Uther punished her.

"You want me to do it again?" Morgana shouted, grinning as the alcohol took control. There was a resounding cheer from the approving knights.

"Morgana." Morgana felt a tug on her sleeve and turned to see Uther bent beside her. The king's eyes were narrowed, and his mouth was set in a disapproving frown. "Morgana, what are you _doing_?"

Morgana laughed heartily. "Getting drunk, apparently."

"Father, I'll handle this," Arthur said quietly, joining them. Uther nodded before straightening up and walking away.

"Morgana, you can't drink," Arthur muttered to her. "You're not in my body anymore; you won't be able to cope."

Morgana hiccupped. "So?"

Arthur sighed. Gently, he eased the goblet out of her hand and placed it on the table. "Come on." He took hold of her arms, leading her out of the hall and towards her chambers. Behind them, Gwen followed.

"What's wrong?" Morgana demanded, stamping her foot. Gwen caught her as she overbalanced, and Morgana giggled. "Oops!"

Arthur sighed, shaking his head. "Your overpowering need for beer; that's what is wrong."

Morgana frowned. "No one cared about it when I was you!"

"Yes, but you're a lady now," Arthur reminded her, his tone gentle. "It's disrespectful." He blinked in surprise; he had no idea where those words had come from. His eyes met Gwen's, and he saw the same confusion swimming in hers.

"You sound like Gwen." Morgana swayed slightly and Gwen held her more firmly. "Maybe we _should _have stayed as each other!"

"_No, _Morgana!" Arthur and Gwen shouted at the same time. They glanced at each other again, and Arthur suddenly noticed that Gwen was wearing what looked like Merlin's blue neckerchief. He bit his lip, trying to stop himself from grinning.

"No, Morgana," Gwen repeated more calmly. "Probably the only reason you like beer now is because it's just a side effect. Merlin said that it would probably only last for a few days."

"Well, then." Morgana pushed Gwen away, a slow grin creeping over her face. Her lips moved, mumbling incomprehensible words under her breath, her pale eyes appearing to shine golden for a split second.

Arthur suddenly realised what she'd said. "Morgana, _no!_" he cried, right before dizziness overcame him and all three of them crumpled to the ground...


End file.
